“A Peace of Art” operating from No. 85 Main Road, Walmer, has been busily on the go since 2005. They are stockists of a myriad crafty goodies for mosaicing, scrapbooking, beading, wiring, decoupage and pewter work etc. They use these crafts and arts as tools to assist people in realizing their endless potential, simultaneously incorporating the teaching of life skills. We popped in to have a cup of coffee and a cake at their wee coffee shop in the garden and we were delightfully surprised. A peaceful ambience filters throughout the well-maintained store with a buzz of creativity oozing from the craft workshop areas. We took a peep inside the Quilt Shop which is also on the premises and we were impressed by the variety of colours and designs available.

In their own words:

“We challenge people to look beyond the logic of the left brain to a deeper understanding of authentic creativity, thus no space is left for rigid steps to be followed. We specialize in personal and professional leadership working individually with every person. This makes the classes fun and relaxing where one can escape the day-to-day worries and find peace and tranquility. From kiddies programs to understanding of the deeper self through making a to-take-home craft/art work, these programmes are presented every day of the week as well as on Saturday mornings. We love people, so come and experience a “peace” of our (he)arts. Bring your troubles, let us mix them with paint and make good use of it, sending you home with a new outlook on the routine and stress of everyday life.”

To make your booking for a creative workshop or a birthday party, contact:-

We are pleased that Crafty Arts has moved into our neighbourhood, creating yet another fine reason for booking with us at Dempsey’s Guest House when next you’re in town. We popped in to look at how they’ve settled into their new spot and we were not disappointed. As always we were greeted with friendly service and a willingness to assist. The new shop is beautifully laid out with shiny wooden floors and great light complementing the overall feel. For drawing, painting, puzzling, model building, mosaicing, scrapbooking and many more, Crafty Arts stocks your requirement. New in their range of top products is the “Giotto” range. The special glitter inks of the Turbo Glitter Pen, in 8 different colours, are dedicated to creative talents who want to give their artwork a lasting sparkle. Giotto Turbo Glitter Pen has a special choke-proof cap and non-retractable tip.

From their website, in their own words:

“Crafty Arts began in March 1996 in a tiny shop in Walmer Park Shopping Centre in Port Elizabeth. Over the years, Crafty Arts has moved from shop to shop within the centre, taking every opportunity to expand and thereby increase our range. Today Crafty Arts is the largest Fine Arts, Craft, Stationery and Hobby Shop in the Eastern Cape. The stock we carry is designed for the widest customer base with all the major Fine Art brands being represented. We supply materials for all your arts and craft needs, from Decoupage to Mosaicing to Painting. The hugely popular pastime of scrapbooking is also well represented. This hobby changes rapidly and we have new products arriving in store constantly. For the hobby enthusiast we have a substantial variety of plastic models, a range of wooden boats, train sets and accessories and also the scenic materials to complete them. The growth in product range and depth has always been customer motivated; if enough people ask for a product, then we will stock it!”
Where to find Crafty Arts:-
(they’re a short walk from us at Dempsey’s)
41 Sixth Ave
Walmer
Port Elizabeth

Hours of business:-
Mon to Fri: 8:30am to 5:30pm
Saturday: 9am to 2pm
Sundays and public holidays: 9am to 2pm

As an added service for their customers in the outlying areas of PE, JBay, Despatch & Uitenhage as well as to PE customers, Crafty Arts is now using Fastway Couriers to deliver your fine arts, craft, stationery & hobby materials to your front door NEXT DAY. For just R30 for an A4 size satchel, you can phone or e-mail through your order, receive an invoice, make an EFT payment and your goods will be delivered to your door the very next day.
Tel: 041 581 1577
E-mail: cheryl@craftyarts.co.za

These Lloyd Road Lodgers nonchalantly allowed a photo shoot one hot summer’s day this year, all I had to do was approach slowly and calmly and the scene was mine for the taking. Close up they are distinctly beautiful. They used to be called the ‘Dikkop’ bird, an Afrikaans word meaning ‘thick head’. Their name has been changed to “Thick Knee” bird.

From Wikipedia:- “The spotted thick-knee, which can reach up to 45.5 cm (17.9 in) in height, has long legs and brown-and-white speckled plumage which provides camouflage making it difficult to spot the bird in the grasslands and savannas where it roams. Its head is large and round with a prominent yellow eye and a short, stout beak. When in flight or standing in a characteristic position with its wings raised, it shows a striking contrasting pattern. Its legs are long and yellow and the tibiotarsal joint is expanded giving it the name “thick-knee”.

The spotted thick-knee is nocturnal and squats on the ground during the daytime making it difficult to spot. It hunts exclusively on the ground, feeding on insects, small mammals and lizards. It also nests on the ground, lining a scrape with grasses, feathers, pebbles and twigs. The female typically lays two eggs, and males and females rear the offspring together, with both bringing food back to the nest. The birds will defend the nest and adopt a defensive pose with wings spread and tail cocked and will even peck an intruder. Sometimes they will fake injuries to lead predators away from the nest.

The spotted thick-knee is native to the grasslands and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa. Its range extends from Senegal, Mali and Mauritania in the west to Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa in the east and south.”

Last week we attended Raggy Charters’ launch of Algoa Bay being the Bottlenose dolphin capital of the world. The venue was The Algoa Bay Yacht Club, always providing great views of the yacht basin and harbour, superb ambience and good food from The Chartroom Restaurant.Raggy Charters runs whale and dolphin-watching tours. Owner Lloyd Edwards, who is also Chairperson of the Baywatch Marine Conservation confirmed that our special Algoa Bay hosts the largest schools of Bottlenose dolphins in the world. For almost 20 years Lloyd has been monitoring the location of these dolphins along with the size of their pods. Since the Raggy tours started in 1997, dolphins have been sighted on 90% of their tours, they have been spotted on the past 28 cruises in a row. Marine biologists at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University have recently completed their study confirming that approximately 30 000 bottlenose dolphins use Algoa Bay. We look forward to the launch of a Dolphin Festival hopefully to coincide with Marine Month in October.

Dr. Lorien Pichegru, Algoa Bay Hope Spot chairperson and leading marine life researcher in SA said Algoa Bay is home to more than half of the world’s African penguin population. She said that sustainable econmic growth in Nelson Mandela Bay, could be promoted by blending blue economy and tourism through initiatives such as this one.

On the subject of the African penguin, SAMREC is Port Elizabeth’s marine bird rehabilitation and education centre situated in the Cape Recife Nature Reserve; their main aim is to rescue and rehabilitate sick and injured seabirds, particularly the critically endangered African Penguin.

On any day, at any time you are sure to find a cormorant conference in full swing, doing a balancing act on Bird Rock along the beachfront, Port Elizabeth. Why do cormorants often stand in the sun with their wings spread out to dry? They have less preen oil than other birds so their feathers can get soaked rather than shedding water like a duck’s; wet feathers probably make it easier for cormorants to hunt underwater with agility and speed. We find them rather comical to observe, they seem to be packed with ‘attitude.’ The white-breasted cormorant in particular seems to look wrecked and jagged!

The Cape cormorant is a bird endemic to the southwestern coasts of Africa. It breeds from Namibia south to the southern Cape Province. In the nonbreeding season, it may be found as far north as the mouth of the Congo, and also extends up the east coast of South Africa as far as Mozambique. In the 1970s the breeding population was estimated as over 1 million in Namibia alone. However, the IUCN now classifies it as “Endangered” due to a very rapid decline in the population over the last three generations. The Cape cormorant is an almost entirely glossy black bird, though in breeding condition it has a purplish tinge and a few white plumes on the head, neck, and cloacal areas. Its gular skin ( throat skin) is a deep orangey yellow; unusually for a cormorant, its lores are feathered. ( the lore is the region between the eyes and nostrils of birds, reptiles, and amphibians) The bird’s wing is about 240–280 mm in extent, and it weighs 800-1,600 grams, with little sexual dimorphism. They commonly forage in flocks, taking schooling fish from mid-water, such as pilchards, anchovies, and sand eels. Its prey are typically much smaller than those of the sympatric bank cormorant. Their major predators are black-backed jackals, which take the occasional adult while it is roosting, and nest-site predators such as great cormorants, eastern great white pelicans, and kelp gulls.

It’s great to page through the September issue of SA Country Life magazine and spot coverage on Port Elizabeth and surrounding areas. The article “One Giant Leap” written by ex Port Elizabethan, Keri Harvey, highlights the top attraction that Lloyd Edwards of “Raggy Charters” has on offer: whale-watching boat trips from Port Elizabeth harbour into Algoa Bay.

Dale Morris’ article “Free as a bird” on “Birds of Eden” also promotes our area. Although just inside the Western Province, Birds of Eden is only a 2 hour drive from Port Elizabeth. Birds of Eden is a world class free flight bird sanctuary, the largest in the world.

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Warm welcome. Clean and tidy area, also easy to find in PE. All you need in a small accommodating room. We enjoyed our stay and will definitely book in there again. Patrick & Lucia Rogers booked out of Dempseys on 15/04/2019. Place your Dempseys guest review here.